Director of Open Source Initiatives at 10up and WordPress Lead Developer

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What’s in my laptop bag

I enjoy people’s “what’s in my bag” posts, but almost never see unapologetically feminine tech-oriented ones. So here’s mine! Not everything is in this bag all the time, but most of it is, whether I’m working out of a local coffee shop or flying internationally. There are some other things that make their way into my laptop bag from time to time, like my makeup bag or Bluetooth speaker or shoes (and there is space left for all of that), but those are deliberate decisions, not just a standard carry. With everything in the photo, it’s about 10 pounds.

Roughly going from left to right, top half then bottom half:

Baggalini Alfa laptop tote. Apparently not actually available anymore, but I like almost everything about it and there are similar ones out there. Lots of pockets, holds a surprising amount of stuff (as you can see), short and long straps, fits under an airplane seat, brightly colored lining so I can see my things, structured bottom with feet, and can slide over the handle of a rolling suitcase. Sometimes the back zippers come open while walking (pulls that snap in place would be awesome) and they can rub against clothes, and I don’t particularly like nylon bags, but a leather or fake leather bag of this size would be unusably heavy.

Bags within bags: a cheapo purse organizer and another little bag I got with some makeup samples. Most of the smaller things in the picture go in here, which I can throw into other bags if I need to or take out and put on a table. The smaller bag holds cables and goes inside the organizer.

Uniqlo pocketable long hooded jacket. Weather is unpredictable and I rarely remember umbrellas; this thing is water-repellent and, because it’s long with an adjustable elastic waist, can go over my bag when worn cross-body. The lining of my laptop bag is actually a very similar magenta; it just doesn’t show up in the photo. I did not coordinate them on purpose.

Small notebooks. These frequently come in handy for scribbling down thoughts or sketching ideas, and give the purse organizer more structure. 🙂

Battery packs. The Jetpack one is particularly nice. I will probably get a battery pack that has USB-C at some point and replace the other one, but I like having more than one to account for having to charge them and dealing with multiple devices.

Portable power strip. USB ports that can provide up to 2.1A, 100V-240V pass-through (the only non-USB type A thing I charge is my laptop, and Apple chargers convert for you), long cable makes awkwardly placed outlets more usable, and stays neat. I am a big fan, and it’s more internationally friendly than the Belkin one a lot of people recommend (which I also have but never carry anymore).

Apple USB-C wall charger. Maybe someday I’ll jump to a single wall charger for both this and the above.

Apple USB-C charge cable. Important to note that it doesn’t support data transfer.

Karma Go WiFi hotspot. I can tether on my phone too but sometimes I don’t feel like running down its battery or turning it into a portable hand warmer.

Powerbeats 2 wireless earbuds. You don’t have to turn off Bluetooth during take off or landing, so I listen to music from gate to gate without worrying about getting tangled or where exactly my phone is. I also wear these to work out and when walking around/transiting alone (but not too loud, because you still need to hear your surroundings).

Bose earbuds. Bluetooth headphones don’t last forever, and these are easier to deal with for video calls through the computer; I don’t usually pair the Powerbeats with anything other than my phone.

Dell USB-C adapter. Doesn’t have a pass-through for charging, but has both HDMI and VGA to cover whatever projectors I might come across as a speaker, as well as USB and Ethernet. It has a clever little folding cable and is exactly the same size as an Apple earbuds case.

16 GB USB flash drive. Sometimes sneakernet is still the best way.

10up hard enamel pin. I am (in)famously not much of a branded t-shirt wearer; pins are way more versatile (conference lanyards!) and I think ours look particularly sharp.

Laptop sleeve. While the bag has a padded laptop compartment, I like having a sleeve both for extra protection and so I can toss it into another bag if I need to. I often put my laptop on top of it instead of directly on tables, and this particular one can function as a little stand, which I haven’t used much yet but seems serviceable.

Roost laptop stand and stand/keyboard/mouse case. I don’t bring this to coffee shops, but it comes with me on longer work trips and family visits. I typically don’t use the case inside this particular bag, but I wasn’t thinking about that when I pulled everything out and didn’t feel like re-doing the photo.

Articulate clutch/wristlet and its cross-body strap. I backed this on Kickstarter a couple years ago and it is by far the best wallet I’ve ever had; this is actually my second one because I wanted this color, so I gave my original black one to my sister. I don’t even really care about the RFID blocking part they tout – it fits my phone and larger currency, the vertical card slots are awesome, and whatever material it’s made of is extremely sturdy and stays surprisingly clean. My husband has one of their wallets, which is also very nice. The long strap is handy when you’re going out somewhere that won’t have a good place to put the clutch down (e.g. conference after parties). It’s also very pretty. 💁🏻

Credit card holder. I frequently carry just this around town, with car fob attached (keyless entry/start) and my phone. It fits in my back pocket, which is a little easier to deal with than a wristlet when handling a toddler.

Business cards.

Tissues.

Some pens and a mechanical pencil that I wouldn’t be sad to lose. The Staedtler Triplus Ball is a staple (I’ve been a fan of their Triplus writing implements since college oh god I graduated 10 years ago), while the gel/fluid ink ones tend to change fairly often. Right now I am super into the Muji 0.38mm ones.

AX Folding sunglasses. These were supposed to be for my husband but I ended up liking them too much and swiped them back. I also have a cheapo all-plastic pair somewhere; these have a metal bridge, which holds up better.

Folding mirror (the square gray and orange patterned thing).

Mints and gum.

Slip-proof hair tie. My hair is VERY slippery, which I guess is a good quality, so these are the only hair ties that have ever worked for me without having to be tight enough to give you a headache (a very real problem). I do not carry spare ones on my wrists though; those black lines are tattoos. 🙂

Collapsible hair brush. I just realized this one has a mirror inside, which is pretty fancy for something I got at a dollar store.

Body lotion. I started carrying this for tattoo care but it’s generally useful. The Sweethome recently declared this Aveeno one the best lotion for most people. They also sell a bigger tube of it that’s carry-on friendly.

Tweezerman Nail Rescue Kit. The cuticle nippers have saved me a lot of pain, and a nail file is a good thing to have on hand. The pusher/cleaner is more specialized but the flat end is actually pretty useful as a flat-head screwdriver, too. 💪

Fresh Sugar tinted lip balm. The sheer pink of the Rosé one is subtle and universally complementary; just a swipe of this makes me feel more put together.

Compact tampon (multiple). These are critical, and even if you don’t need one that week, you might save somebody else. Sometimes I wish men and other non-menstruating persons would carry one or two just to help with emergency distribution.

Lactaid. I can handle a little dairy, but like 90%+ of my East Asian peers, I am lactose intolerant. I still enjoy eating things that are heavy on the lactose and you never know where or what you might go eat with other people, so I carry a couple of tiny pills, no big deal. I think there’s even one tucked into the credit card holder.

Kindle Paperwhite.

Folding stand. I actually use this mostly for my Kindle so I can read a little while eating by myself (I should probably just get a case that does this), but it works for my phone, too.

KIND bar. There are usually also other sturdy/portable snacks, like nuts. I am not pleasant when hangry, so this is for everybody’s well-being.

Foldable water bottle. This one was a very welcome piece of swag at WordCamp Europe 2015.